Chapter Fifteen: Awe

“It seems your life is now entirely superfluous,” Yuan Wuji said, a gleaming sword of thunder manifesting in his hand.

“What are you trying to do? My... my... my lord—” Niu Xianfeng hadn’t even finished his plea before Yuan Wuji, showing no mercy, hurled the thunderous blade with a force that shook the heavens.

“Who are you to commit violence before the Firecloud Cave? Do you not know where you stand?” Ruyi True Immortal, who had watched the ox demon trailing Niu Xianfeng die so abruptly, now gazed at Yuan Wuji with a glint of murderous intent.

“I’ve already stated I came to visit the Bull Demon King. He dared to disrespect me—he sought his own death.” Yuan Wuji hadn’t expected another ox demon to appear here, yet still, there was no sign of the Bull Demon King.

“Even if my elder brother were here—no, even if he was not—on the strength of you having killed my man just now, you must die!” Ruyi True Immortal launched the first attack against Yuan Wuji.

Seeing his opponent dare to strike, Yuan Wuji had no intention of holding back. If Ruyi True Immortal died by his hand, it would be his own fault. When the time came, Yuan Wuji would reveal his identity to the Bull Demon King and doubted any trouble would come his way.

Ruyi True Immortal, wielding his double hooks, closed the distance with intent to cleave Yuan Wuji in two.

Yuan Wuji drew forth his Wind and Thunder Staff, channeling the Dragon-Taming and Tiger-Subduing Art from the Heavenly Gang Transformation. At its intermediate stage, the technique imbued his strikes with the awe of dragons and tigers. With a single swing, he forced the surging Ruyi True Immortal back.

“You’ve got some strength.” Yuan Wuji recognized that Ruyi True Immortal was of equal rank—a celestial of the same tier. No wonder the Bull Demon King had left him in charge of the Firecloud Cave.

“Monkey, your strength is not to be underestimated.” Ruyi True Immortal hadn’t expected Yuan Wuji to match him blow for blow. He had already discerned Yuan Wuji’s cultivation was the same as his own, making it all the more shocking that one strike could drive him back. The accompanying aura of dragon and tiger nearly shattered his spirit; he had come close to dying beneath that staff.

“Again!” Yuan Wuji hefted his Wind and Thunder Staff, charging at Ruyi True Immortal. Most of his previous opponents had been beneath his level—those fights ended in two or three blows. Now, finally facing an equal, Yuan Wuji relished the challenge; this ox, it seemed, could take a beating.

Ruyi True Immortal, for his part, was miserable. Every swing from Yuan Wuji carried greater force than his own, the aura of dragons and tigers with each strike unbalancing his spirit.

Now, Ruyi True Immortal dared only to defend; he feared that if he went on the offensive, he would soon die beneath this mournful staff.

The longer the battle wore on, the more desperate Ruyi True Immortal’s defense became. With each blow, Yuan Wuji’s power increased, and the awe of dragon and tiger further unnerved him. It was only a matter of time before he was defeated.

With a resounding crash, Ruyi True Immortal finally collapsed to the ground, unable to endure another strike.

“Take another blow!” Yuan Wuji raised his staff, intent on making sure Ruyi True Immortal stayed down.

“Spare him, my lord!” An old fox dashed from the cave, shouting to Yuan Wuji, who was about to finish off Ruyi True Immortal.

Yuan Wuji paid no heed to the fox’s plea; his staff did not pause.

“My lord, that’s the Bull Demon King’s sworn brother. If you kill him, how will you explain it to the Bull Demon King?” The old fox believed Yuan Wuji was the Bull Demon King’s friend and invoked the king’s name, hoping Yuan Wuji would show restraint. Otherwise, if Ruyi True Immortal died, the fox too would be punished.

“Oh? Sworn brother? Which sworn brother?” Yuan Wuji finally rested his staff on his shoulder, prompting the old fox to breathe a sigh of relief and answer,

“He is called Ruyi True Immortal, a sworn brother of the Bull Demon King from the same lineage.”

“So, that fool ended up in the Firecloud Cave—I thought he was still in the Kingdom of Women.” Yuan Wuji mused inwardly.

“What, are you afraid now? If you are, you’d best beg for mercy.” Ruyi True Immortal, seeing Yuan Wuji hesitate at the mention of his brother’s name, forgot his wounds and began to shout from the ground.

“The Bull Demon King is one thing, you are another. If you want to die, I can oblige you right now.” Yuan Wuji’s killing intent was unabated as he looked at Ruyi True Immortal, whose arrogance only fueled his wrath.

“That fool Ruyi True Immortal, even as a prisoner beneath another’s staff, dares to bluster. If not for the king’s wrath, I’d be delighted to see you die under that staff,” the old fox thought to himself, secretly admiring the ox’s foolishness.

Feeling Yuan Wuji’s unrestrained killing intent, Ruyi True Immortal truly feared he might be killed with a single blow. He immediately shut his big ox mouth and dared not utter another word.

“My lord, please come inside and rest. Our king will return here in a few days.” The fox adviser spoke politely to Yuan Wuji.

“Very well, I will await your king’s return in the cave,” Yuan Wuji replied, striding straight into the Firecloud Cave.

Once Yuan Wuji had entered, the fox adviser hurried to help Ruyi True Immortal up.

“You coward! I’ll be sure to report you to our elder brother,” Ruyi True Immortal snarled at the fox adviser once he was upright.

“Did you not hear he came to see our king? The king loves to make friends—everyone knows that. This man might be a friend of the king. If you offend him and the king hears of it, who knows who’ll be punished?” The fox adviser, stung by the rebuke, snapped back without a trace of politeness.

“Think about it for yourself!”

The Firecloud Cave was nothing like the Bone Cave—here, the space was broad and comfortable. Noticing the fine wine set out above, Yuan Wuji made no pretense of courtesy; he stepped forward, filled a cup, and drank.

“My lord, you have a remarkable capacity for wine,” the fox adviser remarked as he entered from outside.

“When I arrived, I noticed half your guards were foxes, the other half oxen. Why do you patrol in such a fashion?” Yuan Wuji inquired.

“I had no wish for it, but Ruyi True Immortal and I are at odds, so we divided the cave between us. I’ve tried to discuss it with him, but he ignores me—so things remain as they are,” the fox adviser replied with a wry smile.

“And what brings your lordship here?”

“When I meet the Bull Demon King, you’ll know.” Yuan Wuji couldn’t give a clear answer, so he let the matter pass with vague words.

The fox adviser assumed Yuan Wuji was here to scheme something important with the Bull Demon King and did not press further, instead engaging Yuan Wuji with casual conversation.

“To speak the truth, your king and I are fellow disciples.”

“No wonder you possess such remarkable abilities.” The fox adviser, a seasoned flatterer, responded with practiced courtesy. Yuan Wuji found his words pleasing.

Ruyi True Immortal entered as well, but having offended Yuan Wuji and now suspecting him to be the Bull Demon King’s friend, he sat aside, drinking moodily and staying silent, lest he provoke Yuan Wuji further.

When the Bull Demon King arrived, Ruyi True Immortal feared punishment, while the old fox, chatting amiably with Yuan Wuji, hoped for praise in front of the king. In the end, Ruyi True Immortal might just end up as the fox’s subordinate.